Overcheck attachment for harness



(No Model.)

F. L. JONES.

OVER CHECK ATTACHMENT FOR HARNESS.

No. 249,683. Patented Nov. 15,1881.

j Q INVENTUR.

' manna.

- device in use upon a horse.

IINiTEE STATES PATENT @FFICE.

FREDERICK L. JONES, OF FEN TONVILLE, MICHIGAN.

OVERCHECK ATTACHMENT FOR HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,633, dated November 15, 1881.

Application filed April 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all about it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. JONES, of Fentonville, county of Genesee, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Overcheck Attachments for Harness; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts of an over-. check attachment designed to support the check-rein above and out of contact with the horses foretop and mane, and in front of and also out of contact with his face.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device and check-rein. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the attachment.

Heretofore the overcheck rein has been passed through a loop or terret on the top of the headstall, and has therefore come into direct contact with the mane as well as the foretop, or else the rein has been caused to pass over a metallic strap fastened at its forward end to the brow-strap, and then curving outward and backward and fastened-to the headstall; but this latter device does not protect the foretop, for the reason that it starts from the browstrap, and therefore from the very midst of the foretop, and both devices become more or less entangled with and cut the foretop and mane.

Abridle has also been provided with a checkrein guide and guard consisting of a flat baseplate secured to the top strap or crown-piece, and supporting transversely-arranged parallel side plates having their edges attached to it, said parallel plates being connected at their ends by guard-loops, under which are guiderollers for the check-rein. These parallel plates (10 not extend forward beyond the brow-strap of the bridle, .and therefore do not protect the horses face fromjthe friction of the check-rein, or so hold said rein that it is not liable to entanglement with the foretop; and between the forward and rear ends of said plates there is no support for the rein, which is therefore additionally liable to become entangled with and cut'the foretop and the forward portion of the mane.

In carrying out my invention, A is the top strap or headstall of a bridle.

B is a frame of metal, adapted to be attached by rivets or small bolts to the headstall. The frame B has two arms, B and B the first extending forward and the other extending backward, and I prefer to make the rear one a little the higher. Atthe top of each is a crossbar, B to which is riveted or otherwise fastened a metallic strap, 0. This strap is provided with box-loops O at its extremities, through which the cheek-rein D is passed. The strap 0 extends forward and slightly downward at its front end, and projects some distance backward, so as to support the rein and hold itperfectly free from both the foretop and the mane.

This construction of overcheck attachment, it will be noticed, is perfectly free from the brow-strap, and is not, therefore, in the way in bridling the horse; and being raised at some distance above the crown of the head, the rein draws with a greater leverage and renders it more sensitive in use. The strap, being projected well to the front, guides the rein directly downward to the bit, and does not, as heretofore, causeit to rub and irritate the face of the horse.

Of course, I do not'limit myself to a frame, B, with two arms, for the same effect may be produced, though in an imperfect manner, by a single upright arm with the metallic strap fastened to its upper end. I may also, if desired, make the frame B solid atits lower end but I prefer to make it open at b, so as to form essentially a box-loop for the passage of the winker-straps or other straps which frequently surmount the headstall. I however lay no claim to the base having the loop formed there in, terret-bases having been heretofore formed in a similar manner.

What I c1aimis- 1. An overcheck attachment consisting of a base adapted for attachment to the top strap of a bridle-headstall, one or more arms projecting upward from said base, and a horizontal metallic rein-supporting strap secured to the upper end or ends of said arm or arms, projecting forward and rearward from the same,

and having at its ends loops for the passage provided at its ends with guide-loops for a 10 of the check-rein, substantially as described. check-rein, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the top strap of a In testimony WhereofI sign this specification bridle-headstall, of the overcheck attachment, in the presence of two Witnesses.

consisting of the base frame attached to said a strap, the two diverging arms projecting upi FREDERICK JONED wardly from said base, and the horizontal me- Witnesses:

tallic strap secured to the tops of said arms, ED. E. BAGLEY,

projecting forward beyond the brow-strap and I CHAS. D. PI-IIPPS. 

